Bail set at $50,000 for man accused of assaulting, threatening reporters at Capitol
A Thurston County judge set bail at $50,000 Wednesday for a 26-year-old Seattle man accused of bear spraying two journalists and verbally threatening another during the Jan. 6 state Capitol Campus protest.
Damon Huseman pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault and one count of felony harassment during his first appearance in Thurston County Superior Court. A warrant had been issued for Huseman’s arrest on Jan. 11 and State Patrol arrested him Tuesday without incident.
Since probable cause had already been established, the purpose of the Wednesday hearing was to establish his conditions of release.
Superior Court Judge Sharonda Amamilo set bail at $50,000, following the prosecution’s request, citing a potential risk to the community. The court also barred Huseman from contacting the two journalists he is accused of assaulting and the one journalist he threatened.
“In this case, Mr. Huseman is alleged to have targeted media in a very threatening manner, and when they were exercising their legitimate rights within their employment in a public space,” Amamilo said. “I do believe that based on the the description in the probable cause statement that you would likely seek to intimidate witnesses, or otherwise unlawfully interfere with the administration of justice.”
Huseman attended the Jan. 6 protest when a large group of President Trump supporters pushed through the gates to the Governor’s Mansion. The protest occurred the same day a violent mob descended on the U.S. Capitol building as Congress met to certify then President-elect Biden’s victory.
A probable cause statement reconstructed law enforcement’s investigation into Huseman’s alleged actions that day.
According to the statement, Huseman allegedly bear sprayed two journalists in separate instances after they refused his demands to leave the area near the intersection of 11th Avenue and Capitol Way South.
Later that day, Huseman reportedly spotted another journalist and asked her if she was with the media. When she confirmed, she told investigators Huseman told her to leave and claimed he had already sprayed two other journalists.
She said Huseman then lunged at her as her phone recorded part of the interaction and he threatened to shoot and kill her and other members of the media.
On Wednesday, deputy prosecuting attorney Scott Jackson further alleged that Huseman carried an assault rifle over his shoulder as he threatened this journalist. The original probable cause statement only mentioned he carried an assault rifle when interacting with the first journalist.
If Huseman maintains his not guilty plea, the case will go to trial. The court set the trial confirmation date for March 4 with a potential trial set for March 15.
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 5:45 AM.
